Partition assembly for freezing trays



1938. w. ATCHISON PARTITION ASSEMBLY FDR FREEZING TRAYS Filed Dec. 1, 1936 ITWVQYTEZOT. Leonard W. Atchison flttry Patented Nov. 8, 19 38 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,136,226 PARTITION ASSEMBLY FOR FREEZING TRAYS Leonard W. Atchison, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application December 1, 1936, Serial No. 113,694 4 Claims. (Cl. 62-1085) My invention relates to freezing trays for rerality of similarly formed partition elements l2 frigerating machines, and more particularly to -of substantially Z-shape arranged in series and partition assemblies for such trays provided with spot welded or otherwise secured together at the a heating arrangement for readily freeing the adjacent surfaces thereof, as disclosed and ice cubes therefrom. claimed in my Patent No. 2,077,200, granted April 5 In the use of prior metal freezing trays, it has 13, 1937, and assigned to] the General Electric been customary to remove ice cubes or the like Company, the assignee of my present invention. by allowing warm water to run over the trays Each of the similarly formed partition eleand partition assembly carrying the ice cubes me s l2 f n i lly Z- h p i preferably until the latter is freed from the tray. Warm made f al minum or other m te i l f ood 10 water is then allowed to run over the partition thermal conductivity a is Provided With assembly and ice cubes until the latter are looslongitudinal extending e l P n a d ened from the partition assembly and fall thereoppo y extending transverse portions and from. The ice cubes are then collected in a suit- 5 at a h d, sp i y, f t n tudinal l5 able pan such as a freezing tray, for use as deextending P n The Partition e ements 2 5 sired. This method is wasteful due to the melta e as em l d in Series relationship With the ing of the ice from the cubes, and some h t incentral portions 13 thereof in substantially axial enient, I Furthermor dimculty ha bee alinement along the center of the partition asexperienced in removing frozen desserts and the semhly, a P Of t Central P n of h like due to the fact that it is objectionable for partition element overlapping a part of the cen- 20 water t c m int cont ct, with th tral portion of the next succeeding partition ele-r Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to merit in the assembly- These Overlapping p rts provide an improved partition assembly fo of the central portions l3 of the partition elefreezing tray which is adapted to receive a heatments are rigidly Secured together, P ly. by

ing element which renders it possible to loosen the fusion of metal, that is, by p t Welding, 2 ice cubes or the like from the freezing tray and Soldering the like, thus forming jo n s Of g od partition assembly in an easy manner ith t thermal conductivity therebetween. The transthe use of water. verse portions l4 and I5 of the partition ele- Another object of my invention is to pro d ments l2 are disposed in spaced parallel relationan improved partition assembly for a freezin ship with respect to each other, thus dividing the 3c tray which is capable of being directly remo d tray l0 into a series of individual compartments from the freezing tray without disturbing the in which blocks of ice or the like may be frozen. ice cubes therein, thus permitting the freezing An L-shape end pa t ti e e nt I6 is ri tray t serve as a ll ti for th ice idly secured to one end of the partition assembly cubes and making it unnecessary to handle the described above- The end Partition me t "5 35 ice cubes, I includes a longitudinal extending portion l1 'Further objects and advantages of my in and a transverse extending portion {8. The end tion will become apparent as the following partition element is is preferablysecured to the scription proceeds, and the features of novelty adjacent P Partition element I! y e 40 which characterize my invention will be pointed fusion of metal as, for example, by spot welding 40 out with particularity in the claims annexed to a P Of 4the longitudinal P o ll of the end and forming a part of this specificatio partition element l6 adjacent the edge thereof For a better understandingof my inv ti to the abutting part of the longitudinal portion r feren e may be h d t the accompanying [3 of the partition element l2. A second end drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of partition element I9 is secured to the opposite 45 a freezing tray containing a partition assembly end 0f the partition assembly i the same manb dyin my invention and a removable a ner'as that described with respect to the end ing element therefor; and Fig. 2 is a perspective Partition emen 6- view of one of the partition elements employed E of. the similarly rmed partition eleso in constructing the partition assembly shown in ments l2 and end partition elements I6 d 9. Fi 1, constituting the partition assembly ll above de- Referring to the drawing, in Fig. l I hav scribed, are provided with an arrangement for shown a shallow rectangular metal freezing tray removably receiving a heating element. As will In containing a partition assembly ll. Preferbe seen in Fig. 2, this arrangement comprises ably. the partition assembly ll comprises a plutwo projections or tabs 20 and 2| formed integral with the central portion l3 of each partition element l2 and upstanding therefrom. These upstanding tabs are bent in opposite directions into substantially half-round configura tion to slidably receive and resiliently grip the heating element, so as to obtain good thermal contact. The longitudinal extending portions of the end partition elements l6 and I9 are provided with upstanding tabs similar to tabs 20 and 2! provided the longitudinal extending portion l3 of each of the partition elements l2.

When the partition assembly II is constructed as above described, the tabs 20 and 2| formed on each of the partition elements slidably receive the heating element 22 in good heat exchange relationship therewith. The heating element 22 comprises an elongated tubular portion 23 provided with an electric heating element therein, a heat insulated handle 24, and suitable electric conductors in a cable 25 connecting the heating element to a source of supply.

The partition elements which constitute the partition assembly above described are preferably made of a metal having a good thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, so that heat generated in the heating element 22 may readily flow therefrom through the tabs 20 and 2| provided the individual partition elements l2 into the body of the partition assembly II to thaw the bond between the ice cubes contained therein and the partition assembly. In removing ice cubes or the like from the freezing tray H), the freezing tray containing the partition assembly I! and the ice cubes therein is removed from the refrigerated compartment of a refrigerating machine, and the elongated tubular portion 23 of the electric heating element 22' is inserted into the tabs arranged throughout the length of the partition assembly ll. Heat generated in the elongated tubular portion 23 of the electric heating element 22 passes through the upstanding tabs 20 and 2| into the longitudinal extending portions l3 and then into the transverse extending portions l4 and I5 of the partition elements I 2. Likewise, heat passes through the upstanding tabs provided the partition elements l6 and I 9 into the longitudinal and transverse extending portions thereof. After a short interval of time sufficient heat will pass through the heating element 22 into the partition assembly Hand the freezing tray to completely thaw the r bond between the ice cubes, freezing tray, and

the partition assembly. as a whole then may be The partition assembly removed from the freezingtray III by lifting the same vertically with the handle 24 provided the electric heating element 22, leaving the ice cubes in the freezing tray l0. Thus, the freezing tray I 0 serves as a collecting pan for the ice cubes.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an improved partition assembly for a freezing tray which includes an arrangement for removably receiving a heating element, thus permitting easy removal of ice cubes or the like from the freezing tray and obviating the necessity of handling the ice cubes while they are being removed.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention in connection with a rigid metallic freezing tray, I do not desire my invention ,to be limited to the particular construction shown and described and I intend in the appended,

claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In combination with a freezing tray, a removable partition assembly comprising a plurality of metallic partition elements, each of said partition elements being provided with means comprising two tabs bent in opposite directions for receiving a removable heating element.

2. In combination with a freezing tray, movable partition assembly comprising a plurality of metallic partition elements, each of said partition elements being provided with means comprising a tab for receiving a removable heating element, said partition elements being arranged in series with a tab on,adjacent partition elements being bent in opposite directions to receive said heating element.

3. In combination with a freezing tray, a removable partition assembly comprising a plurality of substantially Z-shaped metallic partition elements, each of said partition elements being provided with means for receiving a rea removable heating element, said partition elements being arranged in series with said receiving means arranged to slidably receive said heating element, a part of the surface of the central portion of each of said partition elements overlapping a part of the surface of the central portion of another of said partition elements in abutting relationship therewith, said abutting surfaces being secured together, the legs of said partition elements being arranged in spaced parallel relationship to define the walls of a freezing tray compartment.

4. In combination with a freezing tray, a removable partition assembly comprising a plurality of metallic partition elements, each of said partition elements having a longitudinally extending portion, oppositely extending transverse portions at each end of said longitudinal extending portion, and at least two tabs upstanding from said longitudinally extending portion bent in opposite directions into a substantially halfround configuration to receive an elongated heating element, said partition elements-being arranged in series and rigidly secured together with a part of the surface of said longitudinal portion of each of said partition elements in abutting relationship with said part of the surface of the longitudinal portion' of another of said partition elements.

LEONARD W. ATCI-HSON. 

